Compound for extinguishing fires.



A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. ,WALTER O. SNELLING, OF PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO I RANK L.

DYE-R, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, AND JONAS W. AYLSWORTH, OF

ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

COMPOUND FOR EXTING-UISHING FIRES.

No Drawing.

' To all whom it may concern:

Belt known that I, WVAL'rnR O. SNELLING,

smoldering, however refractory, by gener-.

- ating or producing over the burning material, a heavy vaporousblanket, or atmosphere, of dry combustion-arresting gas, which by reasonof its greater specific gravity displaces air, and effectively excludesoxygen from the burning materials.

A further object of my invention is to produce the gas at the place ofcombustion, by

the temperature due'to the combustion, by

' applying to the fire a material having a boiling point above-that ofcarbon-tetrachlorid; that has a high molecular weight; and that producesa heavy, sluggish vapor which clings to surfaces with which it comes incontact; that does not conduct electricity; and that is not corrosiveper se to ordinary metal work, or destructive to delicate textiles, asare the dilute acids used in some fire'extinguishing processes.

The material I use is a liquid, consisting preferably ofcarbon-tetrachlorid in which is dissolved or eommingled halogensubstitution products of hydrocarbons containing two or more carbonatoms in the molecule, such as acetylene, ethylene, ethane, propane andsimilar hydrocarbons which combine with halogens to form substitutionproducts,- or in the case of acetylene, addition products; or withethylene. both substitution and addition products. The particularhalogen compounds I prefer to use are .the chlorin compounds, because ofthe comparative cheapness of this element over the other halogens. Ihave found thefollowing compounds efficient as fire extinguishers whendissolved in carbon-tetrachlorid: ethylene tri-ohlorid, C HGl' ethylenetetra-chlorid, C. ,Cl,; ethane tetrachlorid, C lLC/h;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Application filed June 7, 1912. Serial No. 702,195.

ethane penta-ehlorid, C HCl ethane hexachlorid, C 01 pro-panetetra-chlorid, C ,'H Ol,; propane penta' chlo-rid, C l-1,01 propanehexa-chlorid, C H Cl propane hepta-chlorid, C HCh; propane octachlorid,C 01 These compounds, and other poly-halogen compounds of hydrocarbonshaving two or more carbon atoms in the molecule, dissolve in carbontetra-chlorid', have comparatively high boiling points, and when appliedto a fire, they volatilize, forming heavy vapors that are not readilydispersed by the heated gases arising from the burning materials, butcling to surfaces with which they happen to be in contact, shutting offthe access of air to said surfaces, and. thus retarding or extinguishingthe flames. It is further to be noted that liquids having high boilingpoints absorb considerable heat in evaporating, and therefore thephysical conversion of the compound from the liquid to the vapor statetends to materially lower the temperature of the heated surface thatevaporates it.

The solution of carbon tetra-ehlorid and poly-halogen compound ispreferably applied to the fire from a siphon in which is carbon-'dioxidunder pressure; or in lieu of carbon dioxid, I may use nitrogen, or anyother non-inflammable gas such as sulfur dioxid, chlorin, etc.; but Iprefer carbondioxid or nitrogen. Or the solution may be kept in suitableglass bottles, hand grenades, etc., and such a container thrown at theburning objects, causing the breaking of the container and the spreadingand volatilizing of the solution, the vapors enveloping the burningobjects in an atmosphere that will v not support combustion andexcluding ac- -cess of air thereto.

I have stated that I preferably use carbon tetra-chlorid as the solventfor the polyhalogen compounds. I do not, thowever, wish to limit myselfto this solvent, for

many other non-inflammable solvents are also efficient in this relation;for example, I :may use a lower boiling poly-halogen hydrocarbon, suchas chloroform, ethylene trichlorid, etc., as solvents for the higherboiling poly-halogen compounds; or solutions with which the poly-halogencompounds commingle instead of dissolve, may also be used, such asaqueous solutions of salts; or

other solutions with whichthe QQlYfhfllOgBIl hydrocarbons commingleorare miscible instead of being soluble therein, are also applicable formy purpose; and by the terms solvent, etc, used in the claims, I mean toimply that the poly-halogen-compound SIISPBIISIOIL I'claim:- 4 1. A fireextinguishing compound comprising a non-inflammable solvent, at carboncompound of the aliphatic series dissolved therein and having morecarbon atoms in ,its molecule than the solvent.

2. A fire extinguishing compound compl'risigg a non-inflammable solvent,a carbon -copound -of-the aliphatic series dissolved 2 rein, having morethan one carbon atom in its molecule, and'having a higher boiling pointthan the solvent. I

3. A fire extinguishing compound, comprising a non-inflammable solvent,a carbon compound of the alipahatic series dissolved therein, havingmore carbon atoms in 'its molecule than the solvent, and having a higherboiling point than the solvent.

4. A fire extinguishing compound comprising a non-inflammable solvent, anon inflammable carbon compound of the aliphatic series dissolvedtherein havin more carbon atoms in its molecule than t e solvent, saiddissolved compound containing a halogen in its molecule.

5. A fire extinguishin compound comprising a non-inflammab e solvent, 2.noninflammable carbon compound of the 'aliphatic series dissolvedtherein having a higher boiling point than the solvent, and containing ahalogen in it molecule.

6. A fire extinguishing prising a non-inflammabe solvent, anonlnflammable carbon compound] of the aliphatic series dissolvedtherein' having more carbon atoms in its molecule than the solvent andhaving a higher boilingpdint ftlian the solvent and also containingahalogen-in its molecu e.

7. A fire extinguishing compound com prising a non-inflammable solvent,anoninflammable carbon compound of the ali-j phatic series dissolvedtherein having a higher boilin point than the solvent, and containing chorin in its molecule.

8. A fire extinguishin compound comprising a non inflammable solvent, anonlnflammable carbon compound of the aliphatic series dissolved thereinhavin more carbon atoms in its molecule than t e solvent, and alsocontaining chlorin in its molecule.

9.. A fire extinguishing compound comprising a non-inflammable solvent,a noninflammable carbon compound of the allphatic. series dissolvedtherein having more compound com 'may be combined with a vehicle orcarrier, either as asolutio-n, mlxture, or simply 1n containing a'halogen in its molecule' carbon atoms in its molecule than the'solventand havin the solvent, anl l its molecule. p 10. A fire extinguishingcompound comprising a non-inflammable solvent, a non-inammable carboncompound of the aliphatic series dissolved therein having more than onecarbon'atom 'in its molecule, and also also containing .chlorin in ahigher boiling point than 11. A fire extinguishing' compound com pr1s1nga non-inflammable solvent, a non-mflammable carbon compound of thealiphatic series dissolved thereinhaving more than one carbon atom inits molecule," containing chlorin in its molecule.

12. A fire extinguishing compound. comprising a non-inflammable solvent,a non-inflammable carbon com ound of the aliphatic ser es dissolvedtherein having more than and also one carbon atom in its molecule, andhaving a higher boiling point than the 'solvent,'and.

also containing a halogen in its molecule.

13. A fire extinguishing compound comprising a non-inflammable solvent,9. non-inflammable carbon compound of the aliphatic series dissolvedtherein having more than one carbon atom in its molecule, and havin ahigher boiling point than the solvent, and also containing chlorin init's molecule.

14. A fire extinguishing compound comprising carbon tetrachlorid inwhich is dissolved a non inflammable hydrocarbon compound of thealiphatic series havin a molec ular weight higher than chloro orm andwilth more than one carbon atom in its molecu e.

in which is dis.- solved a non-inflammable carbon compound of thealiphatic series, and containin a.

15. A fire extinguishin compound comprising carbon tetrachlori halogenin its molecule, and with more t sin one carbon atom in its molecule.

16. A fire extinguishing compound comprising carbon tetrachlorid inwhich is dissolved a non-inflammable carbon compound 1 ofthealiphaticseries and containing a halogen its molecule, with more than one carbon'atom in its molecule, and a boiling point higher than carbontetrachlorid.

17. A fire extinguishing com ound com-' prising carbon tetrachlorid inwhich is dis- 21. A fire extinguishin compound comsolved a poly-chlorincarbon compound of prising a non-inflammab e vaporizable vethe aliphaticseries, and having a molecular weight higher than chloroform, with "more5 than one carbon atom in' its molecule, and a boiling point" higherthan carbon-tetrachlori 20. A fire extinguishing compound comrising anon-inflammable vaporizable ve- 10 iiicle carrying a carbon-halogencompound of the alipathic series which has more than one carbon atom inits molecule.

icle carr ing a carbon-chlorin compound of 15 the alipat ic series whichhas more than one carbon atom in its molecule.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

WALTER O. SNELLING.

Y Witnesses: I

MILES H. ENGLAND, JOHN E. CRAwsHAw.

It is hereby certified that in- Letters Patent No. 1,103,092, grantedJuly 14, 1914,

upon the application of Walter O. Snelling, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,for an I I v I I I l I t Q i I i I improvement 1n Compounds forExtlngulshmg Fires, an error appears in the printed specificationrequiring correction as follows: Page]2,-line 99, for the wordhydrocarbon? read carbon; and that the said LettersPatent should be readwith this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe case in the Patent Oflice. I: p .Signed and sealed this 4th day ofMay, Afnf i915.

[SEAL] R; WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

